Staying
by bananas.eat.grapes
Summary: Emma and Sean meet at a party by chance. After a crazy night, will they meet again? not as simple as it sounds. Plz R
1. One hell of a night!

**Hey you guys, I don't own Degrassi. I was thinking about how I could make this story different from my others so I thought this up. Tell me what you think.**

"Yeah Emma! Go Emma! Go Emma!" Fourteen year old Manny Santos chanted, cheering her best friend on.

Emma Nelson continued to dance on top of a table, surrounded by drunk, dancing teenagers, having the time of her life. She and Manny had tagged along with her cousin Julie to Wasaga Beach when Julie made the decision to go to her boyfriend's party. When they arrived, they were met by a house full of kids and no parents. Soon enough, they found Julie's boyfriend, Tracker, engaged in the dangerous sport of tonsil hockey with another girl. Julie was furious, to say the least, but attempting to make it less of a scene, she dragged him to an upstairs bedroom, locking the door behind her.

That had been nearly two hours ago and the girls had gotten thirsty, deciding to get some punch-bad idea. Within an hour, they were dancing around, unaware of the alcohol in their systems. Emma felt adventurous and stepped up onto a table found to the side of the living room where Manny, along with many other drunken teens, clapped and cheered.

She looked down, seeing the face of the cute guy she'd been dancing with for most of the night. His light blue eyes infatuated her, and she giggled, "Catch me." she requested before turning and dropping into his awaiting arms. Her arms went around his neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of his cologne, "Do I get the name of my knight?"

He smiled, dimples showing, "Sean Cameron. And you're Emma, right?" at her nod he smiled wider, taking in her appearance. Her hazel eyes gleamed with laughter, her long blonde hair lay against his shoulder. He was hit by a wave of vanilla and felt his knees buck; both from the alcohol and the connection he felt from this girl that lay in his arms. "Your cousin Julie is dating my older brother. She'll kill me if she finds out you've been dancing around, like you've been, and I'll I've been doing is watching." he paused, "Not to mention you're drunk."

Emma nearly toppled over, finally feeling the full on affects of the alcohol. Sean carefully sat her down on the couch, sitting besides her. "I think there's something in the punch." she groaned, resting her head on his shoulder.

His eyebrows furrowed in concern when he felt her hot skin make contact against his neck, "You're burning up. Do you feel okay? Dizzy maybe?"

Emma tilted her head, not being able to do much more, "I don't feel good. Can you take me to the bathroom? I think I'm gonna be sick."

Sean shivered when he felt her cool breath caress his skin. He registered her condition and picked her up, making his way down to the basement where his room and bathroom were located. He turned the light on in his room before walking over to the small restroom, setting her down besides the toilet. She realized it was okay to throw up, then, and began to heave.

Sean just stood there, patiently holding her hair out of her face. "Let it all out, you'll feel better." After a few minutes of heaving, Emma leaned back against his legs. He handed her a small bottle of mouth wash which she took, gratefully.

After flushing the toilet and rinsing her mouth, she walked into Sean's room and glanced around. She laid on his bed and asked him to turn the lights out, which he did automatically. He sat next to her, tentively combing his fingers through her hair.

She smiled, her eyes closed, "That feels good." she whispered, loving the newfound attention.

Sean was hypnotized. Her body was snuggled up to his side, the little amount of moonlight hitting her gold locks. She was beautiful. Without thinking, he bent down and captured her lips in a soft kiss.

Emma responded immediately, kissing him back. She found his hand and pulled him down beside her. He nibbled lightly on her bottom lip, receiving a small moan in reply. She slowly pulled back, her breath taken away. Sean looked into her gorgeous eyes and swollen lips, searching for permission to continue.

Her now sober eyes nodded at him in confirmation and he took her lips again, the music from upstairs fading away.


	2. Enough hot water

The next morning, Sean woke up to the bright sun that harshly shone on his face. He could feel a constant throb of pain in his temples and regretted the previous night for a moment until he saw the angel that lay to his side. The sun complimented her beautiful, soft skin and light hair. He silently thanked the skies for sending him such an angel.

"I know you're watching me."

Sean blushed, knowing he'd been caught. "Are you going to have me arrested?" he tried to play it off.

Emma shook her head, "Not if you make my head ache go away. I feel like I fell 200 ft. from the ground only to land on concrete and run over by a semi." She whined, covering her face with a pillow.

Sean scooted over to her and gently rested her head on his naked thigh, trying to keep his mind on helping her head and off what lay beneath the thin white sheet. He began to rub small circles on her temples, seeing her shoulders relax. He smiled when he felt her get comfortable, continuing the small, simple therapy.

"Mmm, you're amazing at this." She moaned, biting on her lower lip. "Can you rub my neck? It's a little stiff."

Sean tried to block the small noises he was receiving as he used his thumbs to massage the top of her neck. His eyes wandered over her figure under the sheets and had to bite his tongue from groaning at the outline of her breasts. 'Dead dogs, dead dogs, dead dogs.' He chanted in his head.

Emma smiled to herself, knowing the affect she was having on him. She really liked Sean, but liked the fact that he returned her feelings even more. "Do you mind if I shower really quick in your bathroom? It'll wake me up a little more." She looked up at him, faking innocence.

He just nodded as she arose from his lap, pulling the sheet with her when she walked into the bathroom. She turned and blew him a kiss before shutting the door behind her.

Emma started the shower, waiting for the water to heat up. She slowly stepped inside, gasping at the surprising intensity of the flow. She stood there for a moment, letting her hair soak as she contemplated last night's events.

'_I remember dancing and drinking a LOT of punch. Then Sean and feeling sick and then…What if he thinks I'm a slut?! That I just party-hop and get drunk and sleep with random guys. I wish Manny were her to-MANNY! What happened to Manny? Oh my GOD what if she passed out and got taken home by some strange loser?' _

Her panicking was interrupted when the shower curtain was pulled back and Sean stepped in. She stood there and watched the water run down his well-defined body.

Sean stepped forward and backed her up against a wall of the confined shower and ran a finger down her neck, tracing her collarbone and moving down between her breasts.

Emma watched him, wanting him to do so much more but not being able to express it. She leaned in to him and kissed his chest where a small hickey was located. He lifted her chin and bent his head down, seizing her lips in a fiery kiss.


	3. Gorgeous, Handsome, and Sweet, Oh my!

Emma smiled from her position on Sean's bed, catching him glancing at her for the third time. The room was filled with a comfortable silence as they sat there, calmly relaxing with conversations going through eachothers heads.

Sean could hardly keep his eyes off this girl that made him feel so care-free, so at ease, so happy. He'd never experienced that.

They were brought out of their trances by the high-pitched ring of Emma's cell. Giving him an apologetic look, she answered.

"Hello? ...I'm in Sean's room...Manny left me a message; she's at the hotel with the request that we don't show up until 3pm...It's 12:30. Okay, bye." She put the phone away and turned to Sean, standing, "That was Julie. She wants to know what we're doing today."

He took her hand, halting her, "Before we go up there, I need to know, what are we?"

Emma bit her lip, "I don't know, I'm not sure."

Sean nodded, kissing her hand as he stood with her, "Well, I guess we'll find out together; while we're finding out more about eachother."

Emma was shocked. She hadn't expected Sean to be so understanding and calm-everything but that. She quickly got over it, allowing herself to be led into the kitchen where Julie and Tracker were engaged in an arguement.

"You're such an asshole! Why can't you do something with me because **I** like doing it?" Julie screamed.

"Because I wouldn't enjoy it. There's no point in doing something if I'm not going to enjoy it!!"Tracker yelled back.

Sean rolled his eyes, ellicting a giggle out of Emma. Julie's attention snapped to them, " This" She gestured between her and Tracker, "Is not funny."

"Well you are clearly standing on the wrong side of this conversation." Emma laughed.

Sean wrapped an arm around Emma, "Well, we don't know exactly what we're doing today but it's clearly not going to be staying around here to listen to you two." He led Emma out the door. Just as she was going to shut the door behind them, they heard Tracker:

"Why can't you be more like your sister. She has no issue with guys cheating on her!!"

**SLAP!**

Sean shook his head, Tracker never was intellegent when it came to words.

(Scene change:Hotel)

"He's so sweet and charming. We went to this small shack and shared a milkshake and fries. He promised me a ride on it tonight. He's so amazingly unbelievable." Emma gushed, falling onto the bed.

"You got that right! It's amazing he is even related to Tracker. I can't wait to be back to the simple Toronto boys." Julie fumed.

Manny put her head in her hands, "Too much to handle. Okay, Em, I'm so glad that you really like this guy, you don't know how happy that makes me. But, have you talked about what's going to happen afterwards? When we go back home? Is he going to come visit you? I mean, you've given yourself to this guy-twice. I think you should talk to him about where the relationship is going before you do anything else." she pointed to Julie, "You. You should atleast recognize that you at the very bit, you owe enough to this relationship to _try_ to work things out with Tracker. You guys have been together for almost two years."

Julie put her head down, "Okay,I'll give him til the end of the week."

"Thank you. Now let go down to the jacuzzi. There're some cute guys out there, just waiting to gawk at how gorgeous we look. No crime in looking beautiful."

The girls high-fived eachother and giggled, jumping for their towels and bathing suits.

(Scene change:Sean's room)

"She's smart, funny, not to mention_ gorgeous._ What more could I want in a girl, ya know?" Sean sat in a chair, smiling.

Adam threw a foamy football at him, "How about some class? That chick gave herself up to you just last night. _Hours after you met!_"

"Man, she's got class. I may have only met her yesterday, but trust me. She just got mixed up with the wrong substince." He threw the ball back. "And I'm taking her out again tonight."

"Trying to get into her pants again? Huh, huh?" Adam playfully accused.

Sean grabbed a pair of boxers and pants, walking into the bathroom. He poked his head out, "It's not even like that."

**Hey you guys, I hope you liked this chapter. Sorry if there wasn't too much Sean to Emma contact (not in the dirty way, unless that is a good thing for u readers) but there will be more interaction (That's the word for above that isn't in the dirty way). I'm still a lil drunk (shhhhhhhhhh) but never fear, I will be here... ****sorry if i sound stupid and if i'm going to regret this.****please dont let this affect your reviewing...**


	4. Right here waiting

**Hey you guys, this chapter doesn't have as much detail as the rest but I hope you like it none the less. Please review, I haven't been getting as many reviews as I've wanted and I'm a little unsure as to whether I should continue. **

"I'd love that…Okay, I'll see you at 8. Call me when you get to the hotel. Bye Sean." Emma hung up, a huge smile on her face. "I'm going out tonight. Sean's picking me up in two hours; he's going to show me around."

"Okay, sounds good." Julie said, sitting down. When Emma didn't move, she raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Emma sat next to her and hugged her, "Well, I was sort of hoping that maybe I could have the room to myself tonight?" She asked a little timid.

Julie immediately shot up to her feet, "No."

"Julie, _please?_ I'm talking to him about the relationship and where it's going. I need it to be just the two of us. Please." Emma begged.

After a few seconds of considering, Julie gave up, "Fine! But don't make me regret this." She warned, "I'll stay at Tracker's."

"I'm going to my cousin, Maggie's house. She lives twenty minutes from here and I'm sure she won't have a problem with me staying with her for the night. I'll be back first thing in the morning." Manny informed, getting approval from the girls. "Now, let's get ready."

It was 7:30 and it was time for the girls to leave. With a last threat and two reassuring hugs, Emma closed the door and tired to relax until Sean arrived.

Twenty minutes later, her phone rang, "Hey, I'm outside, Em." Sean's voice filled the empty room.

"I'll be right down."

"Make sure you have a jacket, it's a little chilly out here and while I'm going to do my part to warm you up," Emma giggled at this, "I don't want you to catch a cold."

"Thank you for the concern, that's really sweet." She smiled, "I'll be down in just a minute." She grabbed a jacket. Emma made her way down into the lobby and out the door. She looked around for Sean, speaking into the phone, "where are you?"

"wow…"

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the bright headlight of a motorcycle, "I see you, " She hung up.

Sean saw her too, believe that. She was gorgeous in a white top that showed just enough cleavage to tease him. Emma climbed onto the motorcycle behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He turned his head, kissing her cheek in a 'hello' , "You look beautiful. Hold on."

"Ah!! I'm actually doing it!" Emma announced.

They had gotten to the beach and after Sean showed her the ropes it was her turn to drive.

Sean was having the time of his life. When he was with her, it was as if nothing else mattered. He'd never gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd, never got involved with weed, hell, he hadn't had a cigarette all day! '_what are you doing to me?'_

Emma halted the bike to a stop, "That was so much fun." She kissed his cheek, "Thank you." Sean just smiled. "Look Sean, I wanted to talk to you about some stuff. Do you think we could go back to the hotel?"

"Of course. " He switched seats and started for her temporary home.

Sean entered the room just after Emma, whistling when he got inside. "You guys are doing pretty well in here." He commented, walking around a little bit. When Emma didn't reply, he sat beside her, "You don't have to be nervous when you're talking to me, Emma. I want you to know that."

She chewed on her lip for a minute, "Sean, do you think I'm a slut?"

"No." He said simply, as if it was the most apparent thing in the world.

"But I slept with you. I knew almost nothing about you and we had sex. If I were you, I wouldn't want anything to do with me." Emma turned away, humiliated.

Sean moved to the other side of her, making sure to catch her eyes, "You're right. We did have sex. We didn't know much about each other. But guess what? We were drunk."

"Not the second time!" she cut in.

" Look, I've heard stories upon stories about you from Julie and Tracker. You love animals, you make cookies for your friends when they're sick-I ate the cake you sent to Tracker when he got a job! You're a really great girl. We all make mistakes, Em. Everyone." When she refused to meet his eyes, he tried a different approach, "Did you know that Julie got arrested for possession of Marijuana?" At her surprised look, he continued, "Did you get to meet my older sister? She got broke, couldn't get a job because she was so beat up over her break-up, so she decided to sell herself. Tracker and I found out about it, it was only a year ago, and we helped her out. Unfortunately, the damage had been done and she was pregnant. She aborted the baby and to this day, she regrets it. Rachel was smart, Emma. She had everything going for her and she still fell into this hole. That doesn't make her any less of a good person."

Emma let a tear fall, he was right. She reached out and pulled him into a hug, "That means a lot- that you think that. But just so you know, and I'm kind of embarrassed to tell you this, but-"

He cut her off with a short kiss, "You were my first, too. I know, it's surprising, but hey, I'm 15 and I was great without the drama of sex." He answered her bewildered face, "But I wanted to talk about something too. You're leaving on Saturday and I wanted to ask you if it would be alright with you if maybe I stopped by and visited you?"

She was struck silent, "A-Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

Sean looked down, almost embarrassed, "Well, yeah…Unless you don't want to."

Emma kissed his cheek, "I would love to be your girlfriend."

He smiled and hugged her, "Now that that is off my chest, how about we order some double-cheese pizza and find out more about each other?" She agreed and called for room service, delighted that everything was going right.

"Hahahahahaha." Emma laughed, nearly falling off the bed. Sean sat, pouting at her reaction to his embarrassing moment. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just can't believe you tried to fit a _used_ condom-Tracker's at that-over your head!" She cracked up, again.

"Yeah, yeah, I've come to accept the fact that I'll never live that down. But in my defense, I was 8 and curious. So, now it's my turn. How do you feel about drugs?" he asked, a little hesitant.

"I know you smoke bud, Sean. I've only tried it once before, and it was with Manny and her boyfriend. I got really scared and I decided I didn't like the feeling. Haven't tried it since. I don't really care if you do it. I just want you to be careful." She decided.

"Would you ever try it with me? Just once?"

She thought for a moment, "I think I would. But only if you promise not to pressure me into it ever again. And don't tell Julie, either, she'd kill me."

He nodded, a bit surprised she'd agreed to get high with him, but was happy none the less. He looked at the clock beside the bed, "Wow, it's almost 3. I'm not really tired, are you?"

Emma shook her head, hair slightly falling into her face. Sean leaned in and brushed it away, running his fingers through the golden locks of hair. She laid her head in his lap, feeling comfort in the smell of his cologne. His fingers brushed across her face, instantly relaxing her. Emma's soft hair felt like silk and with every movement, a sway of vanilla penetrated his senses.

"How long have you had that bike?" Emma broke the silence.

"Last year. I saved up from a summer job I had and got it. It sort of sucks since I can only drive on the bike lane for the time being; hopefully, I'll get my license next year and it'll get better." His voice was soft and soothing, it was slowly lulling her to sleep.

"Do you sing?" she asked him out of no where.

"Um…well, I can, I guess. Um…Let's see, do you listen to Staind?" she shook her head, "You're in for a treat, they're really good. If my singing is horrible, let me know:

"I know I've been mistaken  
But just give me a break and see the changes that I've made  
I've got some imperfections  
But how can you collect them all and throw them in my face

But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if you chose to walk away I'd still be right here waiting  
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting

I hope you're not intending  
To be so condescending it's as much as I can take  
and you're so independent  
you just refuse to bend so I keep bending till I break…

But you always find a way to keep me right here waiting  
You always find the words to say to keep me right here waiting  
And if you chose to walk away I'd still be right here waiting  
Searching for the things to say to keep you right here waiting

I've made a commitment  
I'm willing to bleed for you  
I needed fulfillment  
I found what I need in you"

He stopped, feeling more than seeing she had fallen asleep in his lap. He bent down to kiss her head and laid back against the headboard. He replayed the night's events in his head, letting himself drift off as well.


	5. What happened?

"I'm going to miss you, babe. So much." Sean whispered lovingly into his angel's ear. His arms slid securely around her slim waist, bringing her shaking body to him.

Emma held on tightly to her lover, tears running down her cheeks and onto his shirt. She couldn't bring herself to let him go; afraid that their relationship would be lost.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she was lifted onto a bench that sat just outside the hotel. When she was asked to look up, she was reluctant, but at his soft "_please_" Emma complied.

Sean was completely torn at the sight of his broken down beauty. He leaned down to meet her eyes, using his thumbs to wipe away her lingering tears. "I'm going to call you." He promised to her, "And this coming weekend I'm going to visit you and maybe the one after you can visit me." He suggested, trying to bring faith into her eyes. He didn't want to let her go anymore than she; she had been the only one to ever understand him and give him a chance. And while he filled her with what he wished it wasn't false hope he was feeding her, his heart was filled with despair at the thought of how far they'd be from each other. "Do you have a homecoming dance at school?" she nodded, "Is there a chance you'll let me escort you?" he gave her a charming smile.

Emma returned it with a light giggle, "Of course." She kissed his cheek. Glancing behind his shoulder, she sighed when she saw Julie place the last bag in the trunk of their car. "I guess I should get going." She stood, making her way around Sean.

He caught her around her waist and drew her into an exhilarating kiss. Her body immediately relaxed into his arms as she allowed her tongue to join his. Her fingers played with the small hairs at his neck while Sean's rounded against her swelled butt, hiking her legs up around his waist. Surprised, Emma pulled away, giggling. Glad that he brought a smile back to her face, Sean kissed her cheek. They made their way over to the car in that same position before he placed her in the back seat. Manny and Julie jumped into the front seats after giving Sean their goodbyes, leaving the two in the back.

"Don't forget about me when you go back and see all of those guys." Sean half joked.

"I would never." She kissed his cheek.

Sean grinned before dropping one on her cheek, sucking on it. She squirmed was left with a hickey when he pulled away. "Well, now they know you're taken."

Emma laughed, as did Julie and Manny, "Don't forget to call." She kissed him lightly.

"I won't, babe. You girls take care. Call me as soon as you get home so I know you made it home alright." He gave one last kiss to Emma and pulled back, closing the car door for her. He stood there, waving as the car traveled further and further away.

(Scene Change: Two weeks later)

"Manny, what am I going to do? I can't just let him come." Emma ranted, pulling at her hair.

"Hun, you can't just tell him '**Don't come**', he's your boyfriend. And you can't _lie_ to him either. That wouldn't be fair to him." Manny crossed her arms at her friend.

"I can't do it, Manny. I'm not going to lie to him, but I'm not going to tell him anything. And if you're really my friend you won't tell _anybody_. Not even Julie. I won't be able to handle that." She forced out. Exhausted, she sat down on her bed, "What am I going to say to him?" she began tearing.

"Oh, honey, come here." Manny pulled her best friend into a hug.

Emma shook with tears, holding onto Manny, "Can you understand, Manny? I just don't want to tell him and then have him be disgusted and just leave. I can't deal with rejection."

"I know Hun. When are you going to break the news to him?" Manny asked cautiously.

"Better now than later. Can you give me a moment? I just want to get this over with but I'd like to be alone." Her friend gave her one last hug before exiting the room. Emma sighed, wiping at her wet face, trying to gain some composure. She took hold of her phone with a shaky hand and dialed Sean's number.

"Hey beautiful, I was going to call you for directions, later. I can't wait to see you." Sean's uplifting voice carried out through the speaker.

Emma choked on a sob, thinking about how much she'd miss looking forward to his call every day. The stupid jokes he'd tell her, the way he was always interested in her day and the late night study sessions he'd provide her with.

"Emma?" his troubled voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Sean, I can't be with you any more." _I love nothing more than being with you_. "I hate how you pretend to care," _No one cares like you care._ "How you're nothing but a failure." _I wish I could amount to half of what you have, _"and how annoying you are. It's no wonder why your parents left you! Why would they want such a screw-up for a son?" _How could your parents kick such a wonderful person out of their lives?_ "I don't want to ever talk to you again. Don't call me, don't look for me. Don't care!" By this time, her face was soaked with tears but her voice held nothing but rage and resentment. Her heart was breaking knowing that she was, in fact, lying to him and hurting him in every way possible. He had done nothing but be an amazing boyfriend and he didn't deserve what she was giving him but she needed to make sure he wouldn't try to contact her in the future.

"…I thought you were different…" Click.

Emma broke down, bawling her eyes out. Manny heard her best friend's dilemma and came running to calm her down. She tried to get what had happened out of her, but all Emma kept repeating was "_I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me,"_

Not knowing how to help, Manny just held her, praying that her friend would be okay.

**Hope you guys liked it. Please review, I hope I left atleast some of you clueless as to what is going to happen but I think some of you know. I read a story today that has the same problem and I'm a little disappointed but I'll just have to add something new. Big shout out to those who stuck with my story for so long.**


	6. That sums it up

**Hey you guys, sorry for the wait. Here's the answer to all of your questions. I started writing the next chapter for this but I knew I wouldn't have time to finish it so I cut this chapter a little short.**

"Higher, Mommy! Higher!!" a cute little boy screamed, giggles following. His mother complied, thrusting her hands forward, rejoicing at the happiness coming from her nearly five year old son.

"Hold on, Matthew." She warned as the force of the wind picked up and blew through their hair.

After a while of swinging, the boy turned his head to his mother, "Mom, can I play over there?" His tiny finger pointing to the other part of the playground equip with slides and monkey bars.

The young, blonde mother was hesitant at first, not knowing whether it would be safe for her son. She looked down at his beautiful blue, almost green, eyes, "Okay, baby. But only for a few minutes. Do you need me to stand with you?" She was still a little skeptic.

"Mom, I'm nots a baby no mores." He whined, crossing his arms.

She reached down and ruffled the boy's hair, lifting him out of his seat. Her mind filled with cautiousness as he ran away. He was so advance for his age; he was potty trained at eight months, started walking at a year and talking six months later. The only thing he has trouble with is shoe tying. He was a very sweet and innocent little boy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a ring coming from her pocket. She continued to walk towards the location of her baby as she answered.

"Hello?"

"Emma, It's Julie. How's my favorite nephew, Matty, doin'?" the chirpy voice of her cousin flowed into Emma's ears.

"Having the time of his life at the park. What's going on?"

"Are you doing anything tonight? Anything important?" Julie pursued.

Emma thought for a moment, "Well, Peter wanted to meet Matthew tonight."

"Ugh! Peter can wait; he's not even your boyfriend and he's trying to add himself into your life! I wanted to see if you'd come over tonight. Some of my friends are visiting and want to meet you. What do you say, be here by 7?"

Emma could hear the venom in her cousin's voice when she spoke of Peter. He was a nice guy. She wasn't very interested in him, but after years of having no one, you aren't too picky. "I don't know. Matthew goes to sleep around 8 so I'm not sure."

"Come on, Em. This is me. No one is going to be bothered by such a cute little guy like Matthew. Bring him with you and you can put him to sleep in my room. It's not like I live with my parents." Julie responded in a 'duh' sort of voice.

"Okay, Okay, I'll go. But if Matt starts fussing, I'm leaving. And there better not be any smoking or drinking." She compromised.

"You won't regret it. Love you. Give Matt my kisses and tell him I have a big present for him when he gets here. Bye." She hung up.

Emma laughed to herself, smiling when she saw her son come to her with a little girl. She bent down to be eye level with them both. "Hi. Matthew, who's your friend?"

The adorable little girl stepped on her toes, as if nervous, before looking up, "My name is Rachel."

"Her mommy's over there with her daddy. She has a boo-boo but her mom said she was busy. Can she have one of my pok a dot bandages?" Her son pointed at her purse.

Emma's eyes were filled with concern, "Sure, honey. Come here." She led the little girl to a nearby bench and sat her down. She examined her cut on her knee and cleaned in with an alcoholic cloth with small difficulty. Emma then placed a pink pok a dotted bandage on it and smiled, "All done. Now, how about some ice cream?"

The children cheered, bouncing to the ice cream truck; all boo-boos forgotten.

Scene change: Emma's parent's house (her room) 6:30

Emma pulled the blue sweater over her son's light-brown, curly-haired head. "Okay, you're all dressed. All you need now is your shoes. Go run and get them from grandma and I'll tie them for you, okay?" She playfully swatted at his butt as he left the room.

She walked over to her closet and flipped through her coats, trying to find something to go with her khaki turtle neck and black pants. Her breath caught in her throat when she stopped at a painfully familiar, worn out hoodie. She recognized it as the one Sean had left her the first, and the only, time he visited her. Her heart tightened as she acknowledged the fact that it was because of her. It was because of her that they both had their hearts broken, that not only did she go through four years without him, but **their** son grew up without a father. Thankfully, with all the support they got from friends and family, he was too occupied to ask about one, but she knew it'd happen some day.

She missed Sean so much over the years, and he did try to call her. But she never had the courage to pick up the phone once. No one but Manny knew about the father, which she was happy about, since she knew they'd all try to get her to talk to him. Hell, Sean didn't even know! And that was how she wanted it.

"Mommy? Why are you crying?" Matthew stepped back into the room.

Emma quickly wiped the fallen tears from her face, "Nothing, baby, nothing. Wow, look at you! Aren't you handsome. Did grandma tie your shoes?" he nodded, "Good. Well, I'm ready. Let's go before you Aunt Julie kicks my butt."

(Scene change: Julie's house)

Emma stepped into Julie's house, Matthew steady on her hip with her purse hanging on her other arm. She was met by Julie, her best friend Stacey, and a guy she thought looked familiar.

"Hey, Em, glad you could make it. Come here, Matty." Julie stole him from Emma's arms and tickle-attacked him. "Why don't you run to my room? There's a present on the bed." She told him, smiling when he took off. "Stacey, you remember Emma." They waved at each other.

The guy that was sitting on the couch besides her stood up and wrapped Emma in a hug, "It's good to see you, kiddo."

Emma pulled away, shocked at who was hugging her. "Tracker! What are you doing here?" She asked, wide-eyed. If Tracker was here, that would mean-

"He's outside having a cigarette. He'll be in soon. He's not expecting to get back together with you or anything, so no pressure." She calmed down just a tad. "That was a cute kid, who is he?"

She was cut off by Matthew who ran to her with a truck that came up to his knees. "Mommy! Mommy! Look what Auntie gave me!" he screamed with joy.

Tracker's face fell, mouth wide open in astonishment. He looked between both of them and saw the resemblance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Sean had come back inside and was just as stunned as he was.

Emma didn't know what to do. She bent down and gave Matthew a fake smile, "That's great, baby. You'll have to thank her for that. Why don't you go play with it in the back yard and I'll come with you in a few minutes, okay?" The boy was uncertain, at first, but obeyed. He ran right past his ignorant father.

"So…that pretty much sums up how I've been." Emma uneasily spoke.


	7. Ridin' Dirty

Emma shivered, pulling her coat tighter around herself as a chilling breeze went by. Her eyes were fixed on her son who pushed his toy truck throughout the yard; over small hills of grass and dirt they'd made over time, around the big tree, but knowingly avoiding Julie's flower bed.

"Baby, are you sure you're not cold?" she called out to him for the second time.

"I'm not cold, mom, I promise." The boy cried out to her, looking up at her. He suddenly smiled with his eyes set on something behind her.

"Ahhh!" she jumped, slapping the arm of a slightly amused Sean. "_Jerk_." She whispered to him with a minor, harsh tone.

Sean just smiled, "It's not my fault you get scared easily." He stepped around her and over to Matthew, whose attention hadn't left them. "What's up, buddy? You've got a pretty nice truck there."

Matthew beamed with pride as her lifted the car for him to see, "Yep. Auntie Julie got it for me. Do you like cars?"

_'That would be an understatement'_ Emma thought to herself, treasuring the scene before her.

"Yeah, I do. I love cars. I had a little machine car that I would drive around in with my older brother-the guy in there." He gestured to the house.

Matt's eyes widened, "_**Really**_? Mom, I want one. Can I please?"

"Oh no. I am not ready to go through the driving thing with you, yet. I wasn't planning on that until you were at least fifteen." She shook her head.

Sean laughed a little, ruffling the boy's hair, "Why don't you ask your dad? Maybe he'll have a little more understanding about a man and his car." He suggested.

Matt's head dropped and in a barely audible whisper, he spoke, "I don't have a daddy."

Emma's heart went out to her son as tears filled her eyes. She didn't know whether to rush to his aid and hold him until he felt as if it was okay or to give him comforting words. She held her breath when she saw Sean bend down to his level and tilt his head up.

"I don't have a dad, either. But I'm a pretty nice guy, don't you think?" He asked, standing back up.

Matthew squinted his eyes, observing Sean for a moment, "Yep!" he decided, sadness now forgotten. "Do you want to play cars with me? I have some around the house. Aunt Julie lets me keep them here for when she baby-sits me."

Sean grinned at the boy's bluntness, "Sure. Do you have any remote control cars? I'll race you best 2 out of 3." The boy nodded rapidly, "Well, head inside and grab them. We'll race around the track you seem to have put together."

Emma watched as her son left her with Sean, running into the house. She turned to the older man, "You don't know what you've gotten yourself into."

He quirked an eyebrow, "You must be exaggerating. He's only 4-a pretty intelligent 4 at that. You did a good job raising him…" he drifted off, observing her facial expressions shift from playful to almost vulnerable. "…Em?"

Tears welled up in Emma's eyes but she wouldn't let them fall. She couldn't give him any indication as to what was going on in her mind; that her heart was breaking.

The door slid open and Tracker popped out, giving Emma the opportunity to pull herself together. "Hey you two, I hope you're playing nicely. Matt just sent me down here in the midst of digging through his toy chest to come check on you, mama." He put his arm around Emma, "He said he thought you looked sad. Everything okay?"

Emma put on a smile, looking up at the fond brothers. "Yeah. I'm just a little stressed out with my work schedule. Today was my first day off in two weeks and I have to go back for another 8 hour shift tomorrow night." She sighed, pulling her phone out. "We gotta get going soon. I need to get some sleep. I promised Matthew I'd take him swimming during the day."

Tracker raised an eyebrow, turning to face her. "Isn't it a little chilly to go swimming?"

Emma nodded, defensively crossing her arms over her chest. "We're going to my friend's house. He has an indoor pool, so I think it'll be okay."

Sean's eyes refused to meet hers. Its was a softened blow but it hurt none the less. The three of them stood there in an awkward silence before Tracker cleared his throat, "Is he your … boy-friend?"

Sean could feel himself reaching for the box of cigarettes, already preparing for the inevitable answer.

"No, he's not my boyfriend." She was cut off as Matthew, along with Julie and her friend stepped out of the house.

"oh my God. Are you talking about Peter Stone? Ugh, he is so into you, it's pathetic." Julie rested her head on Emma's shoulder. "My poor cousin."

"Who likes you, mom?"

Everyone's eyes shot down to the innocent boy grasping for an answer.

"Nobody, sweetie. They were just joking." Emma patted his head.

He returned her sign of affection by wrapping his arms around her legs in a small hug. "**I** love you, mommy."

Emma swung him into her arms and tickle-attacked him, refusing to let him go, "Well mommy **loves** you!"

Everyone laughed at the boy's squeal of laughter. After a moment, he broke free and ran over to Sean who never released them from his gaze. He happily gave him a red remote control truck before placing his blue one on the ground. "Are you read, Sean?"

He nodded, "Yes I am, bud. Do you want to start off here?" he answered yes. "Ready?...GO!!!"

Sean took a few seconds to give Matt a head start but it seemed to be a few seconds too many. The spectators cheered as matt cleared the mini jump and Sean only managed to flip his truck over. After a minor struggle, he was able to wiggle free only to fail miserably once again.

"Yay! Eat dust, Cameron. My nephew kicks giant butt!" Julie cheered, jumpin' around.

"I am embarrassed to call you my brother…" Tracker hid his face in shame.

Matthew held his hand up for a high-five. "You did a good job."

Sean smiled at the boy's inherited modesty, slapping his hand with his own. "Thanks, bud. But you did better. Here's a prize for your hard work." He handed him 5 dollars.

Matt's eyes only got wider as he cradled the money in his hand. "Mommy! I have 5 monies!! Can I put it in my piggy bank at home?"

"Of course you can, baby. Speaking of home, we really got to get going. Say goodbye to everyone, baby." Emma gave him a little pat on the butt. She turned to her cousin and gave her a hug, "Thanks for inviting us, Julie. It was great to see you again, Rachel." She walked over to Tracker, "it was good to see you, too. I'll see you guys again some time." She took a breath before stepping over to Sean, "Umm…although a bit awkward, it was nice to see you again, too. We'll have to catch up soon." She gave him a quick hug before turning and starting out the door. "Come on, Matt!"

In no less than 30 seconds, his recited 4 'goodbyes' and was racing out to the car, leaving everyone else in a silence.

"Well, I am going to watch the rest of Prison Break. Come on, Rach." She entered the house. "And Tracker, make yourself useful and bring those toys in!"

Tracker's jaw dropped but said nothing, bending down to pick up the plastic trucks. He saw his brother light up a cigarette and shook his head, stopping for a second at the door. "You know, those things'll kill you." Before walking back in.

Sean stared at the cancer stick in his hand, "Yeah, well…" He shrugged, taking another drag.


End file.
